Britten's War Requiem

[Dave2002]

What do others think about this piece, and recordings of it?

Currently listening to Rattle's version - good in some ways, but lacks the drive of the original Britten performance in the big Dies Irae sections.

Recordings also bring the soloists much closer than they would be in a live performance - how much of a problem is this? Both the EMI (Rattle) and Decca (Britten) recordings zoom in on the soloists.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Zooming in on the soloists is widespread. When a recording is made with a more natural convert hall balance (such as the RLPO/Handley VW Sea Symphony) it has to face a barrage of criticism, which is a great pity. Chandos recordings, so good in other ways are often badly affected by over close recording of soloists.

[Belgrove]

It is a wonderful and special work, possibly Britten's most important outside the finest of his operatic achievements. I particularly like Giulini with the BBC SO (and Britten conducting the Melos Ensemble), which is a live recording from 1969. It is both explosive and very moving, with a fine set of soloists. The closing moments are, as they should be, devastating. I always try and listen and reflect on this work on Remembrance Sunday if the circumstances permit - cliched I know, but appropriate nevertheless.

[amateur51]

It is a wonderful and special work, possibly Britten's most important outside the finest of his operatic achievements. I particularly like Giulini with the BBC SO (and Britten conducting the Melos Ensemble), which is a live recording from 1969. It is both explosive and very moving, with a fine set of soloists. The closing moments are, as they should be, devastating. I always try and listen and reflect on this work on Remembrance Sunday if the circumstances permit - cliched I know, but appropriate nevertheless.

Not at all clichéed in my opinion, Belgrove. It's a great artist's gesture of remembrance of the futility of war.

[Tevot]

"All a poet can do today is warn"

I think it is a great work - although one that is difficult to pull off. I have the Britten and the Rattle recordings. I would venture it might appear at the 2013 Proms? (Britten's centenary year) And such noble sentiments behind it - not merely the idea that peace is far more preferable to war - but compassion and reconciliation - and how ironic that the Soviet authorities didn't allow Vishnevskaya to join Pears and Dieskau at the premiere.

What do posters think of the view sometimes expressed that the popularity - the public success - of the Requiem troubled Britten who then consciously altered stylistic tack in subsequent works?

Best wishes,

Tevot

[Mahlerei]

One of the great works of the last century, no question. May I put in a good word for the Kurt Masur recording?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

What do posters think of the view sometimes expressed that the popularity - the public success - of the Requiem troubled Britten who then consciously altered stylistic tack in subsequent works?

"The idea was good" he is reported as saying after the premiere, as if not entirely satisfied with the Atristic results. From other reports, he was an intensely private man who hated any public attention paid to himself (as opposed to his Music) including public performance, ironically for one with such astonishing all-round ability. What effect the success and notoriety of the War Requiem had on his consequent output can only be conjecture: it seems plausible enough, but he may have followed his Music into those new paths regardless (he was in his fifties, the same age Beethoven moved into his "late period").

My reaction to the work itself, sat here, not having heard it in around five years or more, is that whilst it isn't as good as it was first "hyped", it is much better than became fashionable to discuss it in the mid-70s.

That, as I say, is here in my study. But I know that the next time I hear it, I'll be weeping buckets at the end as usual!

Best Wishes.

[Mary Chambers]

What do posters think of the view sometimes expressed that the popularity - the public success - of the Requiem troubled Britten who then consciously altered stylistic tack in subsequent works?

I think he was probably a bit startled, but he must have been pleased that so many people listened to his message - for it was a conscious message. How many people took the message in is another matter. His style, I think, would have evolved anyway. He seems to have written the War Requiem - at any rate its choral sections - in a consciously accessible style. As usual, he knew what he was doing.

It is best, like most works, heard live, but I feel no need to own any recording other than the original, which is unsurpassed. Best of all is to perform in it!

The extracts from rehearsals that are now available with the original recording are worth listening to, even though Britten himself was absolutely furious with John Culshaw for recording them secretly. It was meant to be a surprise present for Britten, but it hugely misfired.

[Thomas Roth]

I´m a huge Brittten fan but I find this piece quite boring. It has its moments, but as a whole it outstays its welcome. Saying that, I still have four recordings and the composer´s own is the best, I think.

[EdgeleyRob]

I feel no need to own any recording other than the original, which is unsurpassed.

Indeed it is the only version I have. Surely this is one of the great choral works of all time?.

[Chris Newman]

It is a wonderful and special work, possibly Britten's most important outside the finest of his operatic achievements. I particularly like Giulini with the BBC SO (and Britten conducting the Melos Ensemble), which is a live recording from 1969. It is both explosive and very moving, with a fine set of soloists. The closing moments are, as they should be, devastating. I always try and listen and reflect on this work on Remembrance Sunday if the circumstances permit - cliched I know, but appropriate nevertheless.

This recording captured a very special performance. The natural perspective achieved by the BBC engineers takes me back to the occasion. It was the New Philharmonia Orchestra by the way not the BBCSO. I think it is to our loss that Giulini never recorded Peter Grimes, the opera; he did the Four Sea Interludes and the orchestral song cycles with such success. EMI did not see the point in repeating it in the catalogue as Britten's performance was fairly recent.

[Belgrove]

It was the New Philharmonia Orchestra by the way not the BBCSO.

Quite right, thanks for the correction Chris. I take it you were there - certainly one to remember.

[Chris Newman]

I was indeed. I was sitting in the stalls on the left not far from the front of the arena as it would have been at a Prom. My ticket cost 25 shillings (£1.25)and the programme 2 shillings and sixpence (12 and a half pence today). There was a long, very moving hush at the end, broken only when the fairly small Benjamin Britten rushed over to wrap himself around the tall gangling Guilini. Giulini was a favourite conductor of mine. He brought out something special in almost everything he conducted. I have been lucky enough to catch him a few times in live recordings of nights when I was there. I have a BBC Legends recording with more Britten from the Festival Hall The Overture The Building of the House. My other one is a ROH La Traviata with Mirella Freni which appeared on an Italian label though the sound is not very good. Looking through old programmes I see that I heard Peter Pears sing the Serenade with BarryTuckwell and Giulini (one of my autographed programmes!!). Giulini made two recordings of the Serenade with Bob Tear.

[Nick Armstrong]

I was indeed. I was sitting in the stalls on the left not far from the front of the arena as it would have been at a Prom. My ticket cost 25 shillings (£1.25)and the programme 2 shillings and sixpence (12 and a half pence today). There was a long, very moving hush at the end, broken only when the fairly small Benjamin Britten rushed over to wrap himself around the tall gangling Guilini. Giulini was a favourite conductor of mine. He brought out something special in almost everything he conducted. I have been lucky enough to catch him a few times in live recordings of nights when I was there. I have a BBC Legends recording with more Britten from the Festival Hall The Overture The Building of the House. My other one is a ROH La Traviata with Mirella Freni which appeared on an Italian label though the sound is not very good. Looking through old programmes I see that I heard Peter Pears sing the Serenade with BarryTuckwell and Giulini (one of my autographed programmes!!). Giulini made two recordings of the Serenade with Bob Tear.

Great memories, Chris - especially the priceless image you conjure with the highlighted words!!!

(Funny how one can never imagine people's height correctly - I would have guessed BB was the lanky gangling one and CMG likely to be piccolo and dapper... )

[amateur51]

Great memories, Chris - especially the priceless image you conjure with the highlighted words!!!

(Funny how one can never imagine people's height correctly - I would have guessed BB was the lanky gangling one and CMG likely to be piccolo and dapper... )

Well you see things from a certain heightened perspective yourself, Caliban

Speaking as a shorthouse, me, I , myself, like you thought that BB was a tall bloke. He was certainly tall when standing next to Rostropovich, Shostakovich and HM Queen.

You see, it's all about the company you keeps

Great memories as the tall one said, Chris